Sunita Williams goes into space, and we as a nation go over the moon.
The who's who of international business comes to body shop at India's IITs and IIMs, and we puff up with pride.
Aishwarya Rai on the Hollywood marquee, A R Rahman on Bollywood, Kiran Desai on the Booker honour roll -- all of it further fuels our pride in ourselves as a people, as a nation.
It is not blind jingoism, but a growing awareness that India -- as Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore prophesied would happen -- is finally emerging from darkness, to light; from the ignored 'Third World' categorisation, to an emerging superpower at whose door the world comes knocking.
This pride we feel is natural, it is even our due -- but is there all there is to it? Is that where it begins, and ends, for us? Do we remain admiring spectators applauding the passing parade, or do we march along, doing our bit in our own ways to further India's progress?
Visions for India as a superpower by 2010, 2020, or other arbitrary calendar years, have been enunciated by our leaders -- but how do we get from here to there, and what is our own role in this march to progress?
India@60, on Rediff Connexions, is for those of us who want to be part of the journey, and not just bystanders. It is for those with vision, with ideas, with energy, and with the will to help make this nation great.
Join us, share your ideas, tell us what you are doing and involve us in those projects, help others with theirs.
Alone, we can do nothing but admire, applaud; together, we can make this country great.
Join the Rediff Connexions Discussion Group:
Through this Rediff Connexions groups, you can discuss your ideas to make our nation truly great.
How to join Connexions:
It is easily done -- register your e-mail address, first, on Rediff Connexions.
Note that it does not have to be a Rediffmail address -- any e-mail address will do. You can do this in the new user area on the right side of the Rediff Connexions page.
Next, pick your password, fill in a small form that talks you through your school, your college, your interests.
Why do we want information about where you went to school, and what you like? Glad you asked -- Connexions is all about, you guessed it, making connections.
Once we know your interests, it helps us put you in touch with fellow travellers -- long lost schoolmates, for instance; or someone who shares your hobbies, your interests.
The Internet made the world a small place; Connexions is all about making it still smaller.
We will send you an e-mail validating your membership, click on the link in your mail -- and you are registered.
Don't forget to come back to this page and click on the link below and join the discussion: